Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has come under the spotlight after his earlier remark about not watching India’s matches resurfaced following Pakistan’s heavy defeat to Bangladesh in the first ODI on Wednesday.During a casual conversation with a reporter at a nets session earlier, Rizwan was asked about India’s impressive performance in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, where they posted a total of more than 250 runs.
Responding to the question, Rizwan had said, “Sorry, I don’t watch their matches.”The comment gained renewed attention after Pakistan suffered a crushing loss to Bangladesh in the opening ODI of the three-match series. Rizwan himself struggled during the match, scoring just 10 runs off 20 balls, as Pakistan’s batting line-up collapsed under pressure.Batting first in Mirpur, Pakistan were bowled out for just 114 runs in 30.4 overs, marking their lowest ODI total against Bangladesh. The collapse came after a steady start, with the visitors losing wickets in quick succession once the first breakthrough arrived.Young Bangladeshi pacer Nahid Rana was the star of the show, producing a brilliant spell to dismantle Pakistan’s top order. The 23-year-old returned figures of 5 for 24, claiming his first five-wicket haul in ODIs. Rana removed Sahibzada Farhan, Shamyl Hussain, Maaz Sadaqat, Rizwan and Salman Agha, leaving Pakistan reeling at 69-5.Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz also played a key role with the ball, taking three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman chipped in with one wicket each. Only Faheem Ashraf, who scored 37, offered some resistance for Pakistan late in the innings.Bangladesh then made light work of the modest target, chasing down 115 in just 15.1 overs to seal an emphatic eight-wicket victory and take a 1-0 lead in the series.Opener Tanzid Hasan led the charge with an unbeaten 67 off 42 balls, sharing an 82-run partnership with Najmul Hossain Shanto (27) to complete a comprehensive win for the hosts.
